Czech Alphabet

The Czech alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet with additional special characters. These special characters are not just decorative - they are distinct letters that change the pronunciation and meaning of words. Learning to recognize and pronounce these correctly is crucial for speaking Czech.

Czech has both short and long vowels. Long vowels are marked with either an acute accent (čárka) or a ring (kroužek). The length of the vowel can change the meaning of the word completely.

The acute accent (čárka) and ring (kroužek) make vowels longer. When pronouncing long vowels, hold the sound roughly twice as long as their short counterparts. The ring (ů) is pronounced the same as ú - they're just used in different positions in words.

This difference comes from historical development of the Czech language, where ů evolved from the original 'uo' sound.

The caron (háček) changes the sound of consonants, usually making them softer. Each of these letters has a distinct pronunciation that's important to master:

The Czech letter Ř (ř) is one of the most unique and challenging sounds in the Czech language. It's a distinctive feature of Czech and is often considered a hallmark of native pronunciation.

CH is a combination of two letters, C and H, that together make one sound. In the Czech language, it's counted as just one letter. CH is unvoiced (pronounced without using your voice), although some people might say it more forcefully, which makes it sound like they're using their voice.